CHINA MUST REACH OUT TO TAIWAN

In her letter (Voice, Feb. 18), Ms. Han Jia, press consul of the consulate general of the People's Republic of China, asserts that "Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times and was returned to China de jure and de facto at the end of World War II." Ms. Han actually misses a subtle, yet vital, fact in relating this historical event.

It is undeniable that Taiwan was returned to "China" de jure and de facto in 1945. However, this "China" was not the People's Republic of China (PRC), which did not even exist until 1949. Rather, sovereignty of Taiwan was restored to the Republic of China (ROC), which had ruled the Chinese mainland since 1912.

In addressing the issue of reunification, the PRC intentionally chooses to disregard the simple reality that China is currently divided and has been ruled by separate, autonomous governments since 1949. Further, in asserting that Taiwan is a part of China, the PRC ignores the fact that it has never actually exercised administrative control over Taiwan.

While the 21 million Chinese residing in the Taiwan area are very proud of their Chinese historical and cultural heritage, this sense of national identification should not be taken as sole justification for imminent reunification with mainland China. As ROC Premier Lien Chan pointed out in a recently publicized policy statement, "Cross-straits reunification is currently precluded by the great differences between the two sides in terms of political and economic systems and standards of living, rather than `foreign interference' or the `advocacy of Taiwan independence by people within Taiwan,' as Beijing has alleged."

Toward the goal of eventual reunification, Beijing must first acknowledge the current divided status and then work with Taipei on fostering an environment conducive to cross-straits exchanges. Unofficial negotiations between the Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and its mainland counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), which were indefinitely suspended by the mainland authority in the aftermath of ROC President Lee Teng-hui's private visit to the U.S., should be resumed. Nearly a dozen pre-June 1995 discussions substantially improved understanding and cooperation between the two sides.

The ROC government stands firmly behind its one-China policy and has spared no effort to promote the peaceful, national reunification of China. Dwelling on ideological differences, such as divergent views on the connotations of "one China" or "one China, one Taiwan" formulas, only hardens positions that are irreconcilable in the resulting atmosphere of discord. Likewise, military exercises and missile tests near Taiwan, aimed at harassing and intimidating Taiwan residents, only produce resentment and further estrange Taiwan from the motherland.

While bridging the social, economic and political gap between the two sides is a prelude to possible reunification, it is imperative that mainland Chinese leaders take all sincere measures to win over the hearts and minds of the people of Taiwan to embrace reunification. This is the only way that works in a democracy, and the ROC has now become one.